Rearview mirror



Sept. 19, 1950 E. JONES REARVIEW MIRROR Filed Aug. 28, 1.948

L123. 1 l Hllllll lllllll Hg. 5

INVENTOR.

LIVINGSTON E. QOHE$ A T TOR/V5 Y i atented Sept. 19, 1950 2,523,118 REAnvmW MIRROR Livingston E Jones, Philadelphia-,Ta. r App as ment1 es ie1NM t 1 Thisfinventio'n relates to rear-view mirrors for automotivevehicle's and more'particularly to an improved construction of'a positionally adjustv able support for? mounting a rear-view mirror upon'tne' side of the drivers cab ofa truck, bus

or like, vehicle.

Among the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a' construction of' 'side' arms'upportfora rear-view mirror which is adapted} not only to bercadily mounted upon the vehicleand adjusted in position to afford the operator a clear 'viwfin the. mirror of conditions existing to the rear of the Vehicle, blit also to be swung from its operative outwardly extending position intofla vertical position closely adjoining the "vehicle body so as notto constitute an obstruction against free movement of the vehicle through" passages of limited width.

A further and important object ofthe invention is tQDrovide a mounting for the rear-view mirror which is simple and inexpensive to manufactur'e, whichfis adapted to b readily installed up'o'njexisting. constructions of vehicles, which is readily andconvenientlyj adjustable to vary the locationof the mirror to most efficientlysuit the requirements of the vehicle operator and which is adapted to be easily and quickly swung into inoperative position when so required without altering the setting of the mounting for a predetermined operative location of the mirror.

Other objects and advantagesofthe present invention will appear more fully hereinafter; it being understood that thesaid invention consists substantially in the combination, construction; location and relative arrangement of parts all as described more fully hereinafter, as shownin the" accompanying drawings and as finally pointed out inthe appended claims;

In; the accompanying drawings, which are illustrative of a preferred embodiment of the a rear View mirror mounted upon the sideof a vehicle by means of the mounting of th present" invention;

View of the assembly mirror' supporting arm;

Figure l is a view similar to Figure l butshowing the mounting differently set tovary the op erativeinclination of the mirror supporting arm; Figure 5 is a vertical sectional View as taken on theline 5-5 of Figure l; and

' FigureG is a verticalsectional view-as taken on thef line 6+6 of Figure l.

9'01aims'. ('Cl. 248 278) Referring novv'i'n'o're particularly to the draw- 'ings, it'will' be observed that the'rear-view mirror assembly of thepresentinvention generally comprises a"rearj-' view'mirror Ill, anexten'sible supporting arm [I and a mounting unit designated generally by" the reference numeral [2" and by meansb f which the assembly is suitably secured in position to the vehicle to be equipped with the rear-viewmirror. The mirror itself; which may be ofanyconventional form andshape, prefer-'- ably includes a metallic dish-shaped backing [3' from the center of which rearwardly projects a stud M which is secured, as at Hi, to the outer end of the extensible supporting arm I]. Iii accordance' with conventional practice; the mounting stud' I4 is so se'curedto the backing l3as to scopically secured together to vary the length of" the'arm as may be desired, the telescope'd mem-' bers of the arm being secured together in axially and angularly' adjusted relation by means of a clamping nut l8'inthreaded engagement with the outer end ofthe member ll of the extensible arm. The nut I8"is internally taperedand the threaded portion of the member I! is correspondingly externally tapered so that'upon'ti'ghteni'ng;

the nut IS the members lfiand l'l'are securely clamped together'in any desired axially adjusted relation, this clamping actiori'being facilitated invention, Figure 1 is a side elevational viewof by slotting the threaded portion of the member purpose which will be apparent"hereinafter, the

flattened portion ZWbein'g also provided witha through hole 22; as most clearly appears in Figure 3'.

"I'he, mounting unit l-Z" includes a pair of bracket members 23-23 each of generally 2'- shaped form, these members being adapted for disposition in vertically spacedrelation, as best shown in Figures 1 and 2, so as to pre'sent the corresponding inwardly extending branches I 24 thereof in embracing relation with respect to the outwardly projecting portion 25 of the vehicle door hinge. The bracket members fil -2 3" are secured to the outwardly projecting portion 25' of the door hinge by means of a bolt 26 which is substituted for the usual hingepin and "which projects through suitable openings provided in the branches 2d2fl of the bracket members 2323 in registry with the hinge pin bore. Preferably, the bolt 26 is secured in position by means of e, coacting nut 21. In order to further secure the bracket members 23-23 in fixed immovable position, a pair of set screws 2828 project through the intermediate branches of the bracket members 23-23 with their pointed ends bearing tightly against the fixed part of the hinge knuckle.

With the bracket members 23-43 securely mounted in position as just described, the outwardly extending branches are disposed in vertically spaced parallel relation and so provide av necessary to swing the arm upwardly about its pivot 35 and into its dotted line position shown in Figure l.

The clevis 3i is, of course, free to be swung horizontally about its vertical pivot pin 30 so as to vary the position of the rear-view mirror It! pair of supports for a vertically extending pin 30 i Figure 3, is looped to closely embrace the vertical bearing pin 30, while the freely extending side portions 33-33 of the clevis are disposed in parallel relation and are adapted to embrace therebetween the flattened portion 2110f the extensible supporting arm for the mirror. The said portions 3333 of the clevis are respectively provided with through holes 34-3 1 adapted for registry with the hole 22 through the flattened portion 28 of the arm II, the latter being secured between the side portions of the clevis by a transversely extending bolt 35 projecting through the transversely aligned holes of the assembled clevis and mirror-supporting arm.

As also appears most clearly in Figure 3, the parallel side portions 3333 of the clevis 3| are respectively provided with registering pairs of apertures 36-36, through any selected pair of which is adapted to be projected a pin 3! for holding the mirror-supporting arm in operative outwardly extending adjusted position. It will be noted that the pairs of apertures 3536 are equidistantly spaced from the transverse pivot :pin 35 and that the chamfered edge portion 2i of the mirror-supporting arm extends radially beyondsaid pivot pin 35 so as to substantially intersect the arcuate line of the spaced apertures 36, the general arrangement being such that the chamfered edge 25 is adapted to engage the transverse pin 31 to limit downward movement of the arm H about its pivot pin 35.

Obviously by transferring the transverse pin 31 from one aligned pair of the apertures 36-36 to another pair thereof, the limit of permissible downward swing of the arm ll about its pivot pin 35 may be varied as desired. Thus, when the pin 3! is projected through the uppermost pair of the apertures 3636, as shown in Figure 1, the supporting arm II of the mirror may be swung downwardly about its pivot pin 35 into a substantially horizontal extending position, while when the pin 31 is projected through the lowermost pair of the aligned apertures 3636, as shown in Figure 4, the mirror-supporting arm I I is capable of being swung downwardly through an arc of less degree than in the case of that described for Figure 1. The positionally adjustable .pin 31 thereby provides a simple and effective means for determining the limit of downward movement of the mirror-supporting arm about its pivot 35 and insures return of the mirror to any previously adjusted position thereof whenever the' arm is shifted from its verti-. cally raised position, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, into its outwardly extended operative position. V

fore and aft as may be desired, the clevis being preferably suitably clamped between the embracing branches 29--29 of the bracket members by tightening the nut 38 upon the threaded end of the pivot pin 30. Preferably, a pair of washers 39-39 are interposed between each bracket element 29 and the proximate edge of the clevis, so that upon :properly tightening the nut 38 upon its pivot bolt 30 the clevis 3| is clampingly held between its embracing bracket elements for frictional retention thereof in any angularly adjusted position with respect to the vertical pivot pin 30.

It will be understood, of course, that the present invention is susceptible of various changes and modifications which may be made from time to time without departing from the real spirit or general principles thereof, and it is accordingly intended to claim the same broadly, as well as specifically, as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed as new and useful is:

1. In a rear-view mirror assembly for autor' motive vehicles, in combination, a rear-view mirror, a supporting arm therefor, and an adjustable mounting for said mirror-supportin arm, said mounting including a relatively fixed bracket having a vertically extending pivot pin and a U-shaped clevis member angularly adjustable about said pivot pin, said clevis member including a pair of freely extending parallel side plates adapted to embrace therebetween the inner end of said mirror-supporting arm and a horizontally extending pivot pin about which said mirrorsupporting arm is swingable, and a pin positionally adjustable on said clevis and engageable by the inner end of said arm for varying the limit of downward swing of said mirror-supporting arm about said horizontal pivot.

2. A rear-view mirror assembly for automotive vehicles and the like comprising a rear-view mirror supporting arm, a pivotal supporting member for said arm having a pair of freely extending parallel side plates adapted to embrace therebetween the inner end of said mirror-supporting arm, a pivot pin extending through said side plates and the embraced end of said mirrorsupporting arm, and a detent pin projecting through said side plates in spaced parallel relation to said pivot pin and in intersecting relation to said pivoted arm for limiting downward swinging movement of the latter about said pivot pm.

3. A rear-view mirror assembly of the character described comprising a supporting arm for a rear-view mirror, a fixed support for said arm including a U-shaped member having a pair of freely extending parallel side plates, a pivot pin projecting through said plates and the inner end of the arm embraced thereby whereby said arm is pivoted for swinging movement in a vertical plane, a series of arcuately spaced pairs of registering apertures in said plates disposed with the axis of each pair paralleling said pivot pin and spaced equidistantly therefrom, and a detent pin adapted for selective projection through any one pair of said registering apertures for engagement by said arm to limit its downward swinging movement about said pivot pin, while permitting free movement of said arm upwardly about said pivot pm.

4. A rear-view mirror assembly of the character described comprising an extensible arm fitted at its outer end With a rear-view mirror, a mounting for said arm pivoted for movement about a vertical axis and having a pivot for supporting said arm for swinging movement in a substantially vertical plane, and detent means carried by said mounting in intersectingrelationto the vertical plane of swinging movement of said arm to limit said movement in only one direction.

5. A rear-view mirror assembly of the character described comprising an extensible arm fitted at its outer end with a rear-view mirror, a mounting for said arm pivoted for movement about a vertical axis and having a pivot for supporting said arm for swinging movement in a substantially vertical plane, and detent means carried by said mounting in intersecting relation to the vertical plane of swinging movement of said arm to limit said movement in only one direction, said last-mentioned means being positionally adjustable on said mounting to vary the permissible swing of said arm in the said one direction.

1 ing arm for a rear-view mirror, a bracket upon which said arm is pivotally mounted for swinging movement in a substantially vertical plane, said arm having a part extending rearwardly of its pivotal mounting, and a detent carried by said bracket in spaced relation to the pivotal mounting for said arm for engagement by the rearwardly extending part of said arm to limit swinging movement of the latter in one direction.

7. A rear-view mirror assembly of the character described comprising an elongated supporting arm for a rear-view mirror, a bracket having a horizontally disposed pivot pin about which said arm is swingable in a substantally vertical plane, said bracket having a series of'transverse apertures radially spaced substantially equidistantly from the axis of said pivot pin, and a de- Number tent pin adapted for removable insertion in any one of said apertures to constitute a stop for limitin swinging movement of said arm in one direction about said pivot pin.

.8. A rear-view mirror assembly of the character described comprising an elongated supporting arm for a rear-view mirror, a U-shaped bracket having a pair of substantially parallel laterally spaced side plates adapted to embrace one end of said supporting arm, a pivot pin projecting through said plates and the mirror-supporting arm embraced thereby, said bracket having a series of registering pairs of openings respectively formed in the side plates thereof, the axes of said registering pairs of openings being parallel to each other and to the axis of said pivot pin, and a detent pin adapted to be projected through any one pair o f'said openings to provide a positionally adjustable stop engageable by said arm to limit its swinging movement about said pivot pin in one direction.

9. A rear-view mirror assembly of the character described comprising an elongated supporting arm for a rear-view mirror, a U-shaped bracket having a pair of substantially parallel laterally spaced side plates adapted to embrace one end of said supporting arm, a pivot pin projecting through said plates and the mirror-supporting arm embraced thereby, said bracket having a series of registering pairs of openings respectively formed in the side plates thereof, the axes of said registering pairs of openings being parallel to each other and to the axis of said pivot pin, and a detent pin adapted to be projected through any one pair of said openings to provide a positionally adjustable stop engageable by said arm to limit its swinging movement about said pivotpin in one direction, and pivot means about which said bracket is laterally swingable.

LIVINGSTON E. JONES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 2,113,251 Dover Apr. 5, 1938 2,424,222 Brown et al July 22, 1947 2,430,112 Hamre Nov. 4, 1947 

